Abstract
Inclusive Physical Education (IPE) provides an important physical activity opportunity for students with disabilities. Steps to Inclusion (SI) is a teacher training resource specifically designed to facilitate IPE. However, teaching tools and resources, such as SI, can only be effective when systematic and effective adoption is achieved. The Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI; Rogers, 2003) provides a useful framework to contextualize and understand factors related to teachers' uptake and adoption of IPE training resources. Guided by the DOI, this study identified factors that teachers perceived to be important in facilitating resource (i.e., SI) uptake and adoption. Participants included Ontario teachers (n=20) at both eth elementary and secondary level. Prior to partaking in semi-structured interviews, participants were provided with an electronic copy of SI and asked to read the document in full. A preexisting coding scheme, based on the DOI, was utilized to perform a deductive thematic analysis and analyze the data. Some predictable patterns and supports for improved uptake and adoption were identified. Communicating and promoting IPE resources to educational leaders (e.g., principals) would facilitate the uptake and adoption by the classroom teacher by capitalizing on the social systems and communication channels in school settings. Providing content from abilities-centered lens along with curated content would provide a relative advantage over current resources, thus improving adoption. Restructuring dissemination approaches to include a web-based platform or hands-on professional development were also suggested as additional strategies to augment adoption. Additional practical implications and directions for future research will be discussed.
